Foreground: The Maximilian Affair opens with a whiff of chocolaty mole bitters. Herbal St. Germain and Champagne offer a taste of France, before ending on a smoky note of Del Maguey crema de mezcal. Behind it, the Beso Frances Picante tequila and lime enlivened with espelette pepper syrup that get a sweet, fresh wake-up call from the inclusion of watermelon and basil.
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Foreground: The Maximilian Affair opens with a whiff of chocolaty mole bitters. Herbal St. Germain and Champagne offer a taste of France, before ending on a smoky note of Del Maguey crema de mezcal. Behind it, the Beso Frances Picante tequila and lime enlivened with espelette pepper syrup that get a sweet, fresh wake-up call from the inclusion of watermelon and basil.
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Ponzu Crab isn’t Ecuadorian or French, it is Manuel’s own. Chunks of colossal crab rest in tangy ponzu sauce with shishito peppers and shiso with swipes of cooling avocado.
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Ponzu Crab isn’t Ecuadorian or French, it is Manuel’s own. Chunks of colossal crab rest in tangy ponzu sauce with shishito peppers and shiso with swipes of cooling avocado.
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Fans of the beet and goat cheese salad at La Table will recognize a 2.0 version here.
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Fans of the beet and goat cheese salad at La Table will recognize a 2.0 version here.
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Ecuadorian shrimp ceviche is an introductory salvo of what the elevated native flavors the brothers have been working toward showing Americans. There’s nothing unexpected here, just an ideal balance of meaty shrimp, citrus, onion, espelette pepper, serrano chiles and plantain chips for scooping up all the tangy goodness.
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Ecuadorian shrimp ceviche is an introductory salvo of what the elevated native flavors the brothers have been working toward showing Americans. There’s nothing unexpected here, just an ideal balance of meaty shrimp, citrus, onion, espelette pepper, serrano chiles and plantain chips for scooping up all the tangy goodness.
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Another Manuel original, this cured hickory-smoked Skuna Bay salmon is a fantaisie of pearled veggies, smoked carrot purée and buttery pools of white chocolate foam.
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Another Manuel original, this cured hickory-smoked Skuna Bay salmon is a fantaisie of pearled veggies, smoked carrot purée and buttery pools of white chocolate foam.
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The Heights isn’t missing many menu items, especially now that there’s a perfect traditional coq au vin waiting to be lovingly consumed. Just look at those crispy lardons!
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The Heights isn’t missing many menu items, especially now that there’s a perfect traditional coq au vin waiting to be lovingly consumed. Just look at those crispy lardons!
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This delicate crème brûlée is flavored with organic Ecuadorian coffee. The three madeleines represent the three brothers.
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This delicate crème brûlée is flavored with organic Ecuadorian coffee. The three madeleines represent the three brothers.
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Guava from Ecuador lies beneath a shiny chocolate dome made from sought-after native bean-to-bar brand Pacari. The guava-chocolate cake is lit up with blobs of passion fruit coulis.
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Guava from Ecuador lies beneath a shiny chocolate dome made from sought-after native bean-to-bar brand Pacari. The guava-chocolate cake is lit up with blobs of passion fruit coulis.
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Pacari also figures prominently in the Noir-et-Blanc Soufflé, with white chocolate on top and dark on the bottom. Servers pour in passion fruit crème anglaise and homemade vanilla ice cream for a hot-cold contrast.
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Pacari also figures prominently in the Noir-et-Blanc Soufflé, with white chocolate on top and dark on the bottom. Servers pour in passion fruit crème anglaise and homemade vanilla ice cream for a hot-cold contrast.
Opening a restaurant of their own has been a decades-long dream for brothers Manuel, Victor and Cristian Pucha. But according to bar manager and sommelier Cristian, their real goal is far loftier. The brothers are working “to take Ecuadorian gastronomy to America,” he says. “One day when we go to Ecuador, people will know who we are.”
Media has mostly described Maison Pucha as a French restaurant. And indeed, brother Victor Hugo (disappointingly named for friends, not the Les Misérables author) calls his brand of pastry “French technique with Ecuadorian ingredients.” Executive chef Manuel forged his reputation in French fine dining, including Bistro Moderne, Philippe and, most recently, La Table. But he describes his steak frites and trout amandine as more of a conduit, an incentive for guests who’ve fallen in love with his Euro classics, to try his elevated takes on native dishes like tiradito de pescado. Guests have no reason to worry about losing the French classics, but as the restaurant grows, they can expect more Ecuadorian dishes and Manuel originals, too.
In the meantime, the three brothers share a house in Katy, a fourth has just arrived and the fifth is considering joining them soon. This is truly a family affair, but it’s one that could have big footprints on the international dining scene.
Alice joined Houstonia in November 2015 and has been relishing exploring the city’s vibrant food scene ever since.
She began her journalism career at age 13 with a cult film criticism ’zine. As an adult, stints with WWE Magazine and EatingWell led to her job as senior food writer at Vermont’s alternative newsweekly, Seven Days, in 2008. In that capacity, she became one of the state’s most well-known TV and radio personalities. Her first book, Vermont: An Explorer’s Guide, was published in 2015. Alice has won an AltWeekly Award for Best Food Writing, two Daysies for Best Print/Online Journalist, and two "Top Social Foodie" awards from Burlington Social Media Day.
